Leather-embossing machine



(No Model.)

J.BOYLE. LEATHER EMBOSSING MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 25, 1887.

N. PETERS. PMXo-U'Jmgnphen w:

UNIT-ED STATES Pn'rnn'r rrrcn.

JOHN BOYLE, OF PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS.

LEATHER-EMBOSSING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,877, dated January 25, 1887,

Application filed April 30, 1826. Serial No. 200,666. (No model.)

To aZZ whont it rnctg concern.-

Be it known that 1', JOHN BOYLE, of Peabody, in the county of Essex and State of Messachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather-Embossing Machines, of which the following is a specification. 7

This invention relates to the operation 0 embossing or pebhling skins by passing them between two positively-rotated rolls, one of which is engraved or otherwise treated to cause it to ernboss the skin presented to it, and thus give a common sheep, goat, or calf a surface like that of alligator-skin or any other desired ornamental surface.

Hcretofore much difficulty has been-experienced in keeping the skin free from wrinkles or creases in its passage between the rolls, the latter being necessarily arranged to impart a considerable degree of pressure to the skin, so that any part of the skin which is creased or presented in double thickness to the rolls is so re to be cut and seriously (lama god by the embossingroll.

My invention has for its object to prevent liability of injury to the skins from the cause above recited; and to this end it consists in the combination, with the positively-rotated rolls, whereby the skin is fed forward and embossed, of a loose roll parallel with the em bossing-roll, and movable laterally toward and from the same, the arrangement being such that the operator can pass the skin between the embossing-roll and the loose roll and around the latter, while one end of the skin is grasped between the two positively-rotated rolls, and by pulling on the free or rear end of the skin can cause the loose roll to press the skin smoothly against the embossing-roll, and thus prevent the formation of wrinkles or creases in the skin, as I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a machine having my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a section on line :1; ac, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a similar section, showing the machine in operation. Fig. 4 represents a perspective View of the rolls and a skin in position to be acted on thereby. Fig. 5 represents a modification.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a a represent the end pieces of the frame, in which are supported the embossing-roll b and the bed or supporting-roll c, which supports the skin acted on by the embossing-roll, and co-operates with the latter in feeding forward. a skin inserted between them, the shafts of said'rolls being connected by gears d 6, so that both rolls are positively rotated. The boxesff, in which the shafts of the rolls are supported, are located in slots in the end pieces, a. a. Springs g are held by adjustingscrows h upon the boxes of the upper roll, said springs permitting the upper roll to yield sufficiently to accommodate it to skins of different thickness.

The rolls are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3 by a driving shaft, 2', which is geared to the shaft of the roll b, as shown in Fig. 1. The embossing'roll has its surface engraved or otherwise treated to cause it to impart an imitation alligator or other ornamental surface to a piece of leather passed between the rolls.

Heretofore it has been customary for the operator, standing at the front of the machine, or that side from which the skin is drawn by the rotation of the rolls, to holdthe rear portion of the skin in his hands, and by pulling backwardly exerttension on the skin, and thus, so far as possible, keep it free from wrinkles, the skin extending directly from the operators hands to the rolls. It is impossible, however, in all cases by this mode of operation to prevent wrinkles or doubled portions of the skin from passing between the rolls.

in carrying out my invention I mount in the free ends of swinging armsjj, which are pivoted at k k to the end pieces, a a, a loose roll, l, which is substantially parallel with the embossing-roll, and is enabled by the swinging arms j j to move laterally toward and from said ernbossingroll. The arms j j are so air ranged that normally the loose roll is separated fronrthe embossing-roll, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the operator may readily pass a skin between the two rolls, as hereinafter described.

In operating the machine, the operator, after inserting one end of the skin 8 between the rolls 5 a sufficiently to cause said rolls to grasp the skin, stops the machine and passes the skin between the embossing-roll and the loose roll Z and around said loose roll in the form of a bight ICO and then back over the top of the embossingroll, as shown in Fig. 3; The operator holds the rear end of the skin and exerts a backward pull thereon, and thus draws the loose roll toward the embossing-roll until the bight of skin is grasped between the two rolls, as shown in Fig. 3. The machine being then started, the skin is drawn between the rolls I) c, and is thoroughly smoothed in its passage around the loose roll by the combined action of said roll, the embossing-roll, and the tension exerted by the operator.

I have found by practical experience that skins can be presented in a smoother condition by the cooperation of the loose laterallymovable roll arranged, as described, with the embossing-roll than. by an independent pair of feed'rollers, or any other devices of which I am aware. r

If desired, the loose roll may have itsjour-' nals supported in slotted ears or brackets on i the frame, as shown in Fig. 5, instead of in swinging arms, the slots permitting the rolhto move laterally toward and from the embossing-roll. It is desirable, however, that the loose roll be normally separated from the embossingroll, to avoid injury to the latter by contact with the loose roll when nothing is between them and to facilitate the insertion of the skin. This normal separation maybe roll arranged to support a skin for the action 7 of the embossing-roll, and the laterally-movable loose roll Z, arranged at the rear of the embossing-roll and adapted to .bedrawn to ward the embossingroll by a bight of the skin held at one end by the operator, said-loose roll co-operating with the embossing-roll in smoothing the skin before the latter reaches the meeting sufaces of the embossing and bed.

rolls, as set forth.

2. In an embossing-machine, the combina tion of the embossing-roll b, the bed-roll 0, the supporting-frame, the pendnlons arms j j pivoted to the rear portion of saidlframe, and: the loose roll. jonrnaled in the free ends of said arms, and adapted to be drawn toward the embossing-roll by a bight of the skin held: at

one end by the operator, as set forth.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of April, 1886.

J OHN BOYLE.

Vitnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON. 

